Gary Moore

Gary Moore

Goal Scoring Sniper

Gary Moore was a prolific goal scorer who had a lacrosse career which spanned from 1955 to 1974. A left-handed shot, Gary Moore was well known for possessing a devastating side-arm shot, which saw many goalies fishing the ball out of the net.

Playing Ontario Lacrosse Association Junior “A”, Gary Moore was a goal scoring machine with the St. Catharines Athletics. Over the duration of his junior career, he scored 98 goals, added 26 assists for a total of 124 points. In the 1958 season, Gary won the OLA Junior “A” scoring title totalling 62 points (44 goals and 18 assists) in 17 games. During that season, Gary Moore was a pick-up player for the Brampton Excelsiors for the playoffs and was a member of the 1958 Minto Cup champions. Moore led Brampton in Minto Cup scoring notching 7 goals and 3 assists in a four-game sweep over the Victoria Shamrocks.

Gary Moore played his first two full seasons of Senior lacrosse in Nanaimo and Victoria before returning to St. Catharines. During his senior career, Moore was often in the top ten in league scoring. During the 1962 season, he won the Bucko MacDonald Trophy as the OLA Senior “A” series top scorer with 70 points (43 goals, 27 assists) in 21 games. Gary Moore finished his playing career in Brantford in 1971, where he won a Mann Cup title when the Warriors swept the New Westminster Salmonbellies in four straight games. During his senior career including playoffs, Moore played 292 games, scoring 400 goals and 229 assists for a total of 629 points. He also accumulated 220 penalty minutes.

Goaltender Bob McCready (#1), Ted Howe (#7) and Gary Moore (#14)

Brantford Warriors - Mann Cup Champions 1971

(Photo from the  St. Catharines Standard)

Gary Moore’s immense success led to his induction into two Halls of Fame:

2000 - Inducted into the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame

2008 – Inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame

A dynamic scorer who his team mates counted upon; Gary Moore was a consummate professional. He played with and against some of the greatest players in the history of lacrosse. He was the type of player; fans came to watch and every team wanted on their roster.

One on One with Gary Moore

1. When did you first begin playing lacrosse? 

I first played lacrosse in 1948 with the Port Dalhousie Peewee team. We won the Ontario championship

2. What was the number one factor that motivated you in lacrosse? 

I grew up in an area where everybody played lacrosse. Another area of Port Dalhousie went into rowing. Also, my older brother (Don) played Junior lacrosse

3. Which person(s) taught you the most in regard to lacrosse? 

My brother Don and his team mates on the Junior team

4. How would you describe or assess Gary Moore the lacrosse player? What were his strengths? What were his weaknesses? 

My strength was scoring goals. However, I was a poor defensive player. When we lost possession of the ball on offence, I would scoot off the floor quickly, so we could put on a better defensive player. If you think about it, it was early implementation of an O/D philosophy

5. How do you think your teammates would describe Gary Moore as a player? 

My role was scoring for the team

6. How do you think opposition players would describe Gary Moore as a player? 

Opposition players knew I was a top offensive player. The opposition would try to keep the ball away from me, using quick athletic defensive players

7. As a player, who is the most skilled team(s) you played with? 

Brampton Excelsiors Junior “A” team at Minto Cup 7 in 1958. And the Brampton Ramblers Senior “A” teams in 1961 and 1962 (Gary was picked up by Brampton for both those Mann Cup championships)

8. Who is the best player(s) you ever played with? 

Ron McNeil (Brampton) and Gaylord Powless

9. Who is the teammate player(s) you respected the most? 

Bob McCready, a good goalie who would quite often lead the team on the offensive attack with skilled passing

10. The one player you would definitely want on your team? 

Bob McCready. He would quite often lead the team on the O attack.

11. Who is the most skilled team(s) you played against? 

New Westminster Salmonbellies in 1958 and 1959 when I played out west with Nanaimo and Victoria.

12. Who is the best player(s) you ever played against? 

Jack Bionda and Bobby Allan

13. Who is the opposition player(s) you respected the most? 

Brooklin players in the early to mid 60’s. No one player stands out, but collectively I respected them the most.

14. The one player you hated playing against? 

Gord Thompson and Bruce Wanless from Brampton. They were both hard hitting and large human beings

15. The toughest series – win or lose – you ever experienced? 

St. Catharines Mann Cup eastern representative in 1963 who lost to Vancouver in 6 games.

16. Name Gary Moore’s personal All-Star team? (from your era) 

Jack Bionda, Bobby Allan, Gary Heanse, Gord Thompson and Bob McCready

GARY MOORE

CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS

1958 - WINNER OF ADVERTISER TROPHY AS TOP SCORER IN O.L.A. JUNIOR “A” LEAGUE

1958 - MEMBER OF CANADIAN MINTO CUP CHAMPION BRAMPTON EXCELSIORS

1961 - 3RD IN SCORING IN O.L.A. SENIOR “A” LEAGUE

1962 - WINNER OF BUCKO MacDONALD TROPHY AS TOP SCORER IN O.L.A. SENIOR “A” LEAGUE

1963 - 4TH IN SCORING IN O.L.A. SENIOR “A” LEAGUE

1964 - 10TH IN SCORING IN O.L.A. SENIOR “A” LEAGUE

1971 - MEMBER OF MANN CUP WINNING BRANTFORD WARRIORS TEAM

CAREER SCORING STATISTICS

                                                                -------

                         REGULAR SEASON                      PLAYOFFS

                         --------------                        --------

    YEAR      TEAM     LEAGUE     GP   GO  ASS  PTS   PIM  -  GP GO ASS PTS PIM

    ---- ------------ ------     --   --  ---  ---   ---  -  -- -- --- --- ---

    1955 ST.CATHRNES  OLA JR A    XX   6    1     7   XX  -   STATS UNAVAILABLE

    1956 ST.CATHRNES  OLA SR A     2   1    1     2    0  -    6  3   1    4   0

    1957 ST.CATHRNES  OLA SR A    13  10   19    29    0  -    4  5   0    5   2

    1957 ST.CATHRNES  OLA JR A    XX  41    4    45   XX  -   STATS UNAVAILABLE

    1958 ST.CATHRNES  OLA JR A    XX  44   18    62   11  -   STATS UNAVAILABLE

    1958 BRAMPTON     OLA JR A       DID NOT PLAY       -    4  7   3   10   0   

    1958 WELLAND-CROW OLA SR A    3    4    1    5     0  -     DID NOT PLAY

    1959 NANAIMO      ICLL SR A   27  29    6    35   12  -      DID NOT PLAY

    1960 VICTORIA     ICLL SR A   20  23    5    28   18  -      DID NOT PLAY

    1961 ST.CATHRNES  OLA SR A    23  47   13    60    4  -   10  9   1   10   2

    1962 ST.CATHRNES  OLA SR A    21  43   27    70   49  -    4  9   7   16   8

    1963 ST.CATHRNES  OLA SR A    20  36   19    55   32  -  17 32  11   43  14

    1964 ST.CATHRNES  OLA SR A    18  35   34    69   18  -   9 14  10   24  16

    1965 ST.CATHRNES  OLA SR A     8   7    4    11    0  -    5  7  10   17   4

    1966 ST.CATHRNES  OLA SR A     8  10    8    18    0  -      DID NOT PLAY

    1969 ST.CATHRNES  ELA PRO     35  46   36    82   18  -    4  4   1    5   2 

    1971 BRANTFORD    OLA SR A     7   6    5    11    6  -   14  5   7   12   4

    1974 BRANTFORD    OLA SR A    10   7   10    17    9  -    4  8   3   11   2

    ---- ------------ ---------- -- ---  ---   ---  ---  -  -- -- --- --- ---

             JUNIOR “A”TOTALS    XX   91   23  114    11  -   4   7   3  10   0

             SENIOR “A” TOTALS   215 304  178   482  166  -  77 96  51 147  54